Lessard

Whether people love or hate Larry Dale, the outgoing Sanford mayor has left an indelible mark on the city with his hard-charging, can-do attitude. Filling his shoes will require talent, experience, gumption and independent thinking. Sanford voters will go to the polls March 6. Fortunately, several candidates who have stepped forward to seek the mayor's position -- Brady Lessard, Kerry Lyons and Bates Reed -- offer the right credentials. Any of the three would make a good mayor, although Mr. Lessard has a slight edge.

Among the more interesting pieces of information from the Michael Mather double murder trial last week in Sanford was that Mather is the inventor of an odorless cat litter box. He was trying to line up investors before his arrest, according to defense attorney Kirk Kirkconnell. Mather's trial may wrap up this week. He is accused of fatally stabbing two drug offenders in an Altamonte Springs hotel two years ago. If convicted, he could face the death penalty. QUICK RESPONSE When an Orlando Shockers player was hit in the head by a pitch last weekend during a Florida Collegiate Summer League game at Historic Sanford Memorial Stadium, there was help close by, and plenty of it. It was Firefighter Appreciation Night, and several firefighter-paramedics from the Sanford Fire Department were in the stands.

SANFORD -- Sanford's failure to intervene amid problems at the Sanford Housing Authority led to Tuesday's federal takeover of the troubled agency, the country's top housing official said. Public-housing problems across the nation are created by local people, and solutions should come from local city halls, said Mel Martinez, Department of Housing and Urban Development secretary. "I don't let local elected officials off the hook," he said. But as the problems of deteriorating housing, financial incompetence and a split board grew steadily worse in Sanford, Mayor Brady Lessard did not step in. He said he was convinced his hands were tied.

Stephen Bacallao, who took over as chairman of the Seminole County Democratic Executive Committee just four months ago, is leaving the post for personal reasons. The county Democratic committee will be run by Carol Cox until an election April 28. Only precinct committee members are eligible to run and to vote. ELECTION AFTERTHOUGHTS Can't get over how well Linda Kuhn did on Election Day in Sanford's District 2? Her trouncing of opponent Herbert "Whitey" Eckstein in that district was more than enough to assure her victory.

There should be no room for doubt on the Sanford Housing Authority's new board of directors. But there is. Granted, the former board was a nightmare. It allowed the agency's then-executive director to get away with mismanagement that contributed to deplorable living conditions in the city's public housing. A laundry list of problems in Sanford's public housing caused federal officials to label the agency as "troubled." Now, within days of being appointed, the board's credibility has been hurt by questions involving the past activities of two members who never should have been considered.

Maintenance workers have done an impressive job of addressing many of the deplorable living conditions in Sanford's public housing. But that doesn't take Sanford City Hall off the hook for allowing those poor conditions to linger for months. Much of the fault rests with the people the former mayor selected to serve on the Sanford Housing Authority's board of directors. To clear up the mess left by the outgoing board, the city's new mayor, Brady Lessard, has an obligation to appoint new members who are bright and energetic.

SANFORD -- City Commissioner Brady Lessard fought off a tough challenge by three opponents Tuesday to become the city's next mayor. Lessard, who stepped down from his District 1 seat on the City Commission to make a bid for the city's top elected position, collected 54.4 percent of the vote while carrying three of the city's four precincts. "I think this says the city is ready to move forward and finish the job," said Lessard, quoting his campaign theme. In the other race on Tuesday's ballot, sixth-generation Sanford resident Art Woodruff easily defeated Linda Kuhn, the former director of the downtown Main Street program, for the District 1 City Commission seat.

TOPSHAM, Maine - A Missouri man who came to Maine to pursue a relationship with a woman he had met over the Internet died after cutting his neck with a chain saw on her front lawn to prove his love. James Dinardi, 44, of Columbia, Mo., died at a hospital. Police Chief Paul J. Lessard said Dinardi had moved to the area on June 23. But the woman apparently wanted to end the relationship, so Dinardi drove to her home, pulled a chain saw from his car and cut part of his neck, Lessard said.

SANFORD -- When Sanford voters go to the polls this week, they could make their mayor the most powerful elected official in the city. The individual who stands to inherit that power -- as well as a $64,000 raise -- is Mayor Brady Lessard. The referendum Tuesday asks voters if they want to turn over control of day-to-day government operations from an appointed city manager to an elected mayor. Lessard, who has served in a mostly ceremonial role as mayor since 2001, proposed the change and has been its biggest champion.

Wealthy Longwood mother Mary Hill apparently is wealthy no more. A Sanford judge recently declared her indigent, clearing the way for her to work with a public defender on her appeal. Hill, 54, is serving a 15-year prison sentence for a car crash on Markham Woods Road the first day of school in 2000 that killed her 13-year-old daughter and another teenager. TAGGED FOR CHANGE? Dean Ray knows that running for office doesn't automatically lead to a win. The Sanford business owner has sought election -- unsuccessfully -- six times since 1996.

SANFORD -- The four people who want to become Sanford's next mayor are worried about the city's future. Dean Ray wants more cops on the streets. Ron Fraser thinks there is poor communication between the city and its residents. Linda Kuhn worries about a lack of a grand plan, and Whitey Eckstein says a leadership void has allowed divisiveness and special interests to flourish. They all agree on one thing: Something has to be done soon or Sanford could miss its best opportunity in decades to break out of its small-town cocoon and emerge as potentially one of Central Florida's premier cities.

Sanford Mayor Brady Lessard was one of five last-minute applicants for the vacant Seminole County elections supervisor's post, submitting his application after the unofficial Jan. 21 deadline. But Lessard's chances of getting the job seem remote. If Lessard were appointed, he would have to immediately resign as mayor, then have to oversee the city's March 8 election. That might make some folks uncomfortable. As well, what would the city do for the month or so while the mayor's post is vacant?

Former Sanford Commissioner Whitey Eckstein recently underwent a medical procedure to clear a lung after a nasty fall. His recovery time could have a significant effect on the face of the City Commission. Eckstein has said he wants to run for mayor, which prompted Mayor Brady Lessard to say he would not seek re-election. "I won't run against someone I respect as much as I respect Whitey," Lessard said recently. Qualifying begins Monday for the mayor's seat as well as for the District 1 seat currently held by Art Woodruff and the District 2 seat held by Velma Williams.

Nick Lachey has joined wife Jessica Simpson in the stable of potential ABC stars. He has signed a talent-holding deal with the network and will be cast in a sitcom pilot. ABC also has plans for the couple to host a Sonny and Cher-style variety show this spring. David Schwimmer, having taped the final episode of Friends last week, is moving on. He'll star in Duane Hopwood, a film with Janeane Garofalo, as an alcoholic employed by a casino. Plus, he'll direct Home and Hardware, an NBC pilot starring Allyson Hannigan.

ATLANTA -- Francis Lessard and Tommi Santala scored their first NHL goals and the Atlanta Thrashers broke a three-game losing streak with a 5-2 victory over the Florida Panthers. Shawn McEachern and Daniel Tjarnqvist added their first goals of the season for the Thrashers. Pasi Nurminen stopped 26 shots for the Thrashers.

Spitting cherry pits is a family thing for the Lessards. Father and son finished first and second during the weekend in the 23rd annual International Cherry Pit Spitting contest. Joe Lessard Sr. of Blenheim, Ontario, spit 71 feet, 11 1/2 inches. The record of 72 feet, 7 1/2 inches was set in 1988 by Rick Krause of Sanders, Ariz. Joe Lessard Jr. finished second with a spit of 57 feet, 2 inches. The elder Lessard is a two-time previous spitting contest winner, coming out on top in 1986 and 1993.

Jean Lessard, 42, a Canadian working for the U.S.-based Catholic Relief Organization was found slain in the bedroom of his home Sunday, police said Monday. He was naked, with his hands and legs bound, and had been hit on the back of the head with a heavy object, they said. His room had been ransacked. Lessard supervised projects in Thailand for the Catholic group, one of several private groups aiding refugees on the Thai-Cambodian border.

SANFORD -- Sanford's failure to intervene amid problems at the Sanford Housing Authority led to Tuesday's federal takeover of the troubled agency, the country's top housing official said. Public-housing problems across the nation are created by local people, and solutions should come from local city halls, said Mel Martinez, Department of Housing and Urban Development secretary. "I don't let local elected officials off the hook," he said. But as the problems of deteriorating housing, financial incompetence and a split board grew steadily worse in Sanford, Mayor Brady Lessard did not step in. He said he was convinced his hands were tied.

SANFORD -- Sanford voters Tuesday overwhelmingly rejected the idea of a more powerful mayor, choosing to keep their current form of government. About 70 percent of voters said no to creating a strong mayor who not only votes but runs the city. The vote means the city will continue to have a city manager who runs the city's daily operations while the mayor retains mostly ceremonial status and shares power with four commissioners. The issue energized the city, and turnout was a healthy 15 percent for a one-issue ballot.